UT Launches New Mobile Website

Published: June 14, 2010

Accessing The University of Tampa has never been easier.

From
the palm of your hand, from anywhere on the globe, you can now check
Spartan athletics scores, search for a campus phone number, browse
library holdings, review UT degree offerings, scroll through upcoming
campus events and inquire about admissions.

This week UT
introduced UT Mobile, which can be accessed from any smartphone device.
Using their mobile device, users simply go to UT’s URL, www.ut.edu, and
they will be automatically directed to UT’s mobile website.

The
mobile website is the gateway for a variety of services for current
students, future students, parents, alumni and community members. UT
Mobile does not replace UT’s traditional full website but allows for
easier and quicker access and connection to campus for people on the go.
Some highlights of the new site include:

A calendar of events, including undergraduate and graduate admissions information sessions

UT news

A mobile-enabled index of UT’s Macdonald-Kelce Library collections

Links to UT’s YouTube video channel and social media sites

A faculty and staff directory

A campus photo gallery

A searchable directory of student organizations

Athletic scores and headlines

Chris Goodwin, UT web designer, said that since UT has such a diverse
audience — from teenagers applying to college to longtime community
members looking for the next theater production — communicating with
them in various ways is critical.

“It’s clear that people are
accessing websites more frequently from handheld devices, and demanding
information quickly. UT Mobile is aimed exactly at those users,” Goodwin
said. “We’re simply trying to find new ways to deliver useful services
and content to students, faculty and staff, and the public. Mobile
capabilities are the obvious next step in accomplishing that goal.”

UT
Mobile can be accessed from an Android-based phone, BlackBerry, iPhone,
Palm Pre, Windows Mobile phone or any other smartphone device.
Bookmarking the site installs an easy to access icon to the device’s
home screen that, when tapped, will take visitors directly to the UT
mobile site. If desired, users can connect from the mobile site to UT’s
full website.

Research found that twice as many people accessed
UT’s website from a mobile device in 2009 than in 2008. According to the
Pew Research Institute, approximately 32 percent of Americans have used
a mobile device to access the Internet. International use is as high as
67 percent, according to Marketing News.

Goodwin said that an
increasing number of pages on the full UT website will become
mobile-enabled, which will enhance the mobile experience.

“This
is a site that will continue evolving as the technology evolves," she
said. "It’s the direction of modern communication and learning.”

UT
Mobile was developed in collaboration with WebSolutions Technology
(WSOL). WSOL is a full service, privately held website design and
hosting firm specializing in Internet strategy and discovery, web
development and content management solutions with a focus on Ektron
CMS400 implementation and hosting.